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Affordable Housing

Image of a houseThe Right Honourable David Hanson MP announced an Independent Affordability Review under the direction of Sir John Semple, on 5 September 2006.

The Review’s remit was wide-ranging and the mechanisms aimed at securing social housing for rent, growing a quality private rented sector and assisting people into homeownership were examined.

Advice NI and partners were commissioned to support the work of the Affordability Review, by conducting qualitative research to gain an insight into the personal impact of the lack of affordable homes in Northern Ireland.

In particular the research undertaken by Advice NI supplements the Review into Affordable Housing by providing a focus on:

  • Homelessness: How affordability factors that deprive people of the opportunity to access any type of housing tenure, and in particular the experience of young single people;
  • Social Housing: General issues around people’s ability to access social housing for rent and in particular considering the impact of the Right to Buy scheme on access to housing now and in the future;
  • Private Rented: Particularly the shortfall between private rented sector Housing Benefit and contractual rent, with other issues including the need for regulation of the private rented sector and measures to make entry into the private rented sector more affordable;
  • Home Ownership: Issues related to speculation and purchase of traditional family homes for development and their impact on house prices being the single most prominent point for discussion.

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